A mangle, a fecking mangle, DH may be over doing it.

[PestymcPestFace]

He bought a mangle, second hand in working order.

He asked the other day if there was anything we would need to survive without electricity. I foolishly stated a mangle.

What over kill purchases have you or your DP made.

Haha!

I bought a thing that I think is called a posser (posher?) from the states. It's a cone on a pole with a bull's eye pattern on the base, used for agitating laundry in a bucket. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that nearly 50% of the purchase price would be added on as import taxes when I went to collect at the local post office I also bought an old small tin bath from the reclamation yard for doing laundry, luckily that's just the right size to double up as a dog bath. I was watching washboards on Ebay a while back. Would love a mangle

Can I ask why? Im not part of the EU and wonder what the panic is

We live quite rural Green. Once had a power cut that lasted ten days. Cables near us expolded and needed major work. They provided a generator for an hour a day. Local town had a launderette then.

Doodle I thought they were dollies. FiL has a collection. Our tin bath has been a life saver. Found where to get new ones

Wow! Have you received it yet? If it's a proper old job, they're BIG and must be very heavy!! - crafted from cast iron and - AIUI - stone for the cylinders. No - I've never tried to shift one, but I think you're looking at a job that needs a LOT of muscle...

Doodle - yes, passer or dolly. Is it like an upturned colander? I'm very glad to say I've never had to use one, but I'm old enough to have had grandparents who had discarded posters in the garden she'd I have a dolly tub (waiting to be recycled as a garden container) - I'd describe it as a metal barrel.

Meh - possers and shed. And a xpost.

It is an ACME one, like you used to get on twin tubs. Nothing like the one GM had. And here was me thinking I could use the cider press to press the water out.

As a child, and eldest of 6, I would have loved this! The washing machine broke frequently and could take weeks to be repaired/replaced. And as the youngest were still in cloth nappies, and all 6 of us capable of lots of muck, I was often found stomping of clothes in the bath to wash them, and twisting them by hand to “spin” them.

I meant that as eldest, I was the one who ended up doing the heavier work helping DM.

concrete... it's one of these (see pics). Isn't going to win any rustic charm awards, but it is really practical for off grid laundry. I've already used it a few times for delicates that need handwashing, and it makes it a lot easier. I always have a few handwash only items languishing at the bottom the the laundry basket, I get through them much quicker now and without pruny fingers Love the dolly tubs... just looked them up on Google images, would make fab garden planters.

I'd love a mangle. I look at them longingly on eBay. That's prepping for you.
I bought a cheapo sun oven ages ago- well, a lined and shaped for use when camping. When it arrived I thought it was a silly waste of money. Then we had that heatwave and I made some fab pasta sauce in it.

I have hurricane lamps that were bought as a joke but are used every winter when the power fails.

These www.ebay.co.uk/i/173704070575 are great if you need to wash without electricity.

I wondered about those. I have lived without access to a washing machine and did my laundry in tbe bath.

They are brilliant, nappies, cashmere jumpers and everything in between.

Thanks for the pics, Doodle - I'd no idea they were still being made. I love quirky threads like this

OMG I will not let my DH see this. He’ll see it as a good alternative to the tumble dryer now, never mind if things go tits up.

Bellini is it worth getting a solar oven in the UK? I've seen Prepper Princess recommend them on YT, but she lives in sunny California.

Wondering about a solar oven or rocket stove... we have a large overgrown garden, so lots of prunings and branches to fuel the latter.

We'll be cooking barbequed/pan fried meat & fish from the freezer with veggies, HM bolognese/chilli or meat stews (currently done in IP) as first level preps. Second level preps, something like camping style food - tinned chilli and rice or tin of chickpeas, spices and passata heated through. Currently have a Kelly kettle with the cook set.

Has anyone done haybox cooking?

If your washing machine ever packs it in and you can't get a new one right away, and there's no laundrette next door, you'll be glad of that mangle! Honestly though, I did out laundry in the sink/bath for nearly a year once. The washing bit is fine. It's the wringing them out and getting them dry that's the nightmare!

We’re not proper preppers, and DH was dubious when I started to stock up in case of no deal. But this week he went to see a man about a diesel generator. Particularly ridiculous as I love him for his emotional intelligence, wit and looks but not for his practical skills. The last bike he bought literally fell apart a week later so he’s previously been banned from “meeting a man about a...”

Question about mangles if I may... don't they risk breaking modern delicate plastic buttons? How do you avoid this?

@DoodleLab - Honestly yes, I think they would, unless they're some new-fashioned, electric model that self-adjusts, which would probably defeat the purpose if you're prepper-minded. Although, tops with buttons are probably just as easy to wring out by hand, whereas the mangle would really come in handy with things like bath towels and sheet.

You can use a mangle for Lino or intaglio printing if you sandwich the block and paper between thin boards - I’ll have it! (Spectacularly missing point!)

I'm tempted by a generator. I have been looking at them for a few years now. However this has been more for weather related power cuts than anything else. We have a wood heated house and with a generator we could fire up the furnace and have heat and hot water (and keep the freezer running)